Wire-coiling machine



R. SHEPHERD ET AL April 24, 192s.

WIRE COILING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnx/entbrsz Richard Shepherd Walther Dalheimer;

R Thei r Apnorneg April 24, 1928. I 1,667,681 R. SHEPHERD ET AL wmm comma MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1924 3 sheets-$11666 Inventors: Richardshepherd, Walther Dalheime'r Their Attorney.

April 24, 1928. 1,667,681

R. SHEPHERD ET AL WIRE COILING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1924 H H 1 ll I r I i l I l l l I I l Inventors: Richard Shepherd, Walther Dalheimer;

Their Anborneg.

Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES RICHARD SHEPHERD AND WALTHER D ALHEIMER,OFEINDHOVEN,- NETHERLANDS, AS-

SIGNORS TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPOBATIO N'OI' NEW YORK.

WIRE-comma mncnmm Application filed December 3, 1924, Serial No. 753,'738, and in the Netherlands January 29, 1924.

This invention relates to an improvement on the invention of application, Serial No. 756,564, for U. S. patent by Heinrich .H. M. Reufel, Hendrick de Jong, and Willem G. F. WVentink which was filed December 17, 1924, and comprises a coiling machine for winding wire' into helices, especially comparatively fine wire into 1 close coils or helices. The machine according to the invention is particularl adapted for use in making helical or coi ed filaments for electric incandescent lamps.

In machines of this kind commonly the helix is wound on a traveling mandrel which is subsequently removed in any suitable manner, for example, by dissolving inchemical preparations. Especially when helices of fine wire having a very smallpitch are to be- Wound,-itisnot only highly important that the rotary Winding heads for winding the wire on the mandrel should rotate uniformly but also that the mandrel should travel uniformly.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to prevent irregularities in the movement of the mandrel.

As a rule, a wire, for example of steel,

'used for the mandrel, is wound off from a supply roll and wound on a second, roll after the helices have been wound on it. The said wire will hereinafter be referred to as mandrel. wire. The wire that is helically wound on the said mandrel wire will be re- 'ferred to as windin wire.

In the machine according to this invention, the winding wireis wound in known manner on the traveling mandrel wire which prior and subsequent to the winding operation passes over and is driven by the surfaces of rotary members which are so driven that'the parts of the surfaces engaged by the mandrel wire have a substantially equal velocity and which rotate about the same axis. According to the inventionthe surfaces ofthe rotary bodies may be cylindrical surfaces on the same feed roll. According to'the invention devices are preferably provided which keep the mandrel wire taut prior and subsequent to its passing over' the feed roll, and devices are also provided which prevent the mandrel wire from slipping on the rotary bodies, for example, along the rotary driving surfaces. For this purpose the unwound mandrel wire may be pressed int? e g gement with its iCQIIQ of a vertical sponding driving surface by a roller, whereas the wound mandrel Wire may bepressed into engagement; with its corresponding driving surface by an endless belt led over a systemof pulleys,,of whichat least one is movable fortensloning the said belt.

The machine according to the invention may be provided witha number of winding heads and mandrel wires so 35 m ermit of anumber of helices being'wound simultaneously. In such a machine the mandrel wires prior and subsequent to the winding operation preferably pass over the same feed roll, and the winding heads are preferably rotatable. on vertical axes.

In this manner a machine is obtained, all

members of which can-be easily controlled during operation, especially if according to another feature of t e invention the rotary winding heads with their corresponding devices and the rotary calendarfwith its corresponding devices are arranged on both sides table, fixed to the inachines framework. v

In the machine according tothe invention both the mandrel wire and the winding heads maybe driven continuously to make a continuous helix or coil, but when helices of a determined length connected by straight ends of wire are to be made the winding heads may be stopped periodically or the mandrel wire may bemoved periodically at an increased speed.

By periodically changing the speed of rotation of the winding heads or the traveling speed of the mandrel wire, helices of vary:

ing pitch may be made.

* If in the machine according to the invention the winding heads are rotatable on a vertical. shaft, each winding head maybe provided with a conical surface which bears on a rotary cone, a device being provided for actuating said cone at a uniform velocity with such a construction.

Each winding head can be stopped at will, when the windings wire or-the mandrel is broken. For example, the rotary winding head maybe provided with asccond conical surface, a rotary disc having a similar conical surface being provided which by screwing up and down can be moved. over-such a distance that on screwing up,

.the winding head is lifted off the rotary cone. v

ltfi mp rt t h t t d vin urf ces which are engaged by the mandrel wire prior and subsequent to the winding operation, be driven at uniform speed and with as little vibration as possible, as otherwise some of the advantages of the machine mayv be lost and also that the rotary winding heads are actuated regularly and without vibrations so that the ratio velocity of the mandrel wires and the winding heads is practically invariable and to th'iscnd the present invention comprises various devices to meet these requirements.

The frame of the machine to which the shaft for the feed roll and the other devices tor moving the mandrel wire and the devices for winding the winding wire are fixed may, according to theinventi'on, be so mounted as to be entirely clear of the driving mechanism, the latter being interlocked with those members of the machine that have to be driven by means of a belt only.

Furthermore, in order to prevent vibrations and irregularities in driving high speed winding heads, the latter are preferably actuated directly by means of a belt, and if desired the entire transmission of motion may be accomplished by means of one endless belt.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one form of a machineconstructed accordingto the invention and having six rotary winding heads. In this construction both the mandrel wire and the winding heads are driven continuously. ings:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a machine according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section along the upper part of the machine.

Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a plan and a side elevation of the belt gearing of the machine according to the invention.

Figure 5 is a vertical section 01 the rotary winding heads ol'the machine.

Figure 6 is a plan of such a winding head.

The construction and operation of the machine is apparent from Figure 2 of the drawing. The mandrel wire 9 is wound on a slightly braked supply spool 7 pivoted to a housing 8 mounted on the main frame 1 of the machine. The mandrel wire 9 passes from the spool 7 across a resilient wiper 10 to a continuously rotating ieed roll 11. The two legs of the resilient wiper 10 are lined with felt or similar soft material and serve for cleaning the mandrel wire. The latter passes around the feed roll 11 and thence goes downwards across the frame 1 and a plate 2 fixed thereto to a guide wheel 12 pivoted to the end of a housing 13.

The mandrel wire passes from the guide wheel 12 through a rotary winding head M and through a winding guide 15 which it In the said draw-- necessary is provided with a bored diamond, over guide wheels 16 and 17 pivoted to housings 18 and 19 back to the feed roll 11. The winding head 14: has mounted onit a supply spool 22 for carryingthe winding wire which passes over a guide wheel 23 onthe winding head and thence along the lower end of the winding guide 15 to the mandrel wire 9. The mandrel wire'travels through the winding guide and as the winding head rotates, the windingwire is at this point helically wound on the'mandrel wire 9. v

The winding guide 15 may be heatedat will by any suitable device that ensures that the winding wire which passes along the lower end 01 the winding guide 15, is heated to a high temperature. times be desirable in order to preventthe winding .wire from breaking during the winding operation. The windingwire may be heated by passing an electric current through it.

The mandrel wire with the winding wire wound on it passes from the feed roll 11 through a slot in a finger 241 to a spool 20 on a spindle 21 journaled in the. housing 8. The spool 20 is driven at the desired velocity through a friction coupling and the finger 24: is periodically reciproc-ated by a heart shaped cam, so that the wound mandrel wire is wound'on the spoolv 20 in regular adjacent coils. The mandrel wire prior and subsequent tothe winding wire being wound on it passes over the same teed roll 11, which, as already observed, ensures a very regular movement of the mandrel wire and at the same time avoids-breakage or too great a stretching of the. said wire. 1

In order to ensure that the mandrel wire does not slip on the feed roll and that it consequently acquires accurately the same velocity as the latter, the unwound mandrel wire is pressed into engagement with the feed roll 11 by a roller 26 ofsteel or other hard material pivoted on one end of a lever 27 which is rotatable on a spindle 28. The other end of the lever 27 extends through the plate 2 and is pulled downwards by a spring 29, the tension of which can be regulated by a set screw 30. The end of the lever 27 to which the spring 29 is secured can be moved upwards against the action of the said spring and consequently the roller 26 can be thrown out by means of a catch having two pivotally connected legs 31 and 32 which are movable relatively to each other. When the leg 32 shown in Figure 2 is moved to the left, the pivot 33 of the two legs is moved horizontally to the left and thus the lever 27 is rotated against the pull of the spring 29. i

The wound mandrel wire is pressed into engagement. with the feed roll. 11 by a belt This may some of leather or similar softflexible material which passes over pulleys 36, 37 and 38. The pulley 36 is pivoted to an arm 39 whichis rotatable on the spindle 28. The pulleys 37 and 38 are mounted in a frame 40 pivcause the wound wire by reason of the presence of the winding wire between the mandrel wire and-the roll rotates around the longitudinal axis of the roll on a slightly greater radius. In practice this has beenv found to present no ditfi'cultyifcare is taken that the tension in the mandrel wire 9 between the spool 7 and the feed roll 11 is slight. The slightly greater velocity acquired by the woundwire on the feed roll 11 is really advantageous, because it keeps the portion of the mandrel wire between the points of passing on and off the feed roll at the desired tension.

It is apparentfrom Figure 10f the draw- I ings that in the machine illustrated six adjacent winding heads with their corresponding sets of spools and otherdevices have been provided thereby permitting the machine to wind six'coils simultaneously. The mechanisms of all six winding sets are similar to that above described. Ofcourse the number of winding heads illustrated by way of example is by no means meant asa limit ans a different number may be provided at V1 The manner of drivingthe machine from the motor is clearly shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4. Figures 3 and 4 show the frame 1 of the'winding machine so moun'ted as to s be entirely clear of the frame 3 which carries thedriving shaft 46. The frames 1 and 3 are connected onlyby an endless belt 47 which transmits the revolution of the shaft 46 to various members of the winding machine. The vibrations of the frame] 3 are consequently transmitted to only a very slight extent to the mainframe 1 whichis desirable, as the said vibrations may give rise to irregularities in the coiling. The frame 3 rests on a bed plate 4 (Figures 3 and 4) on which the motor 45 (Figure 3) is mounted. The energy of the motor is transmitted by the endless belt 47 to the driving shaft 46 and thence to pulleys 105 of the winding headsand to a pulley 49. The belt 47 is kept under tension by means of a weight 48 (Figure 4). The machine may of course be driven by means of several belts but the use of one endless belt is to be preferred because then there is only one joint which gives rise to vibrations to a muchsmaller extent than when using anumber of belts having each a joint. Thepulleyx49 is rigidly mounted on a shaft 50 journaled in bearings 51 and 52 (Figure 1) having between them a worm case in which a worm 53 on the shaft 50 meshes with a worm wheel 54. This worm wheel is seated on a shaft 55 having .also' secured to it a cog-wheel 56, which gears with a cog-wheel 57. The latter cog-wheel is mounted on shaft 58 and gears with a'cog-wheel 61 ona shaft 62. On the shaft 62 is also seated aworm 67 which engages with a worm-wheel 68 rigidly mounted on a shaft 69 which is integralwith the feed roll 11 and drives it continuously.

The position of the shaft 58 can be changed by means of-a link 63 which'is rotatable on the shaft 62 and which is provided with a slot 64 in which a-stud 65 can slide. The link 63 is secured to the frame by a nut on the stud 65. By this mechanism cog-wheels 57 and 61 of different size may be-used to change the velocity of the roll 11and consequently that of the mandrel wire 9. -'The shaft 69 is :journaled in bearings 70 and 71 and at the other end of the feedroll 11 is a shaft journaled in a bearing 81 The spools for winding-the wound mandrel wire-and the fingers 24 for reciprocating the mandrel wire are driven from the feed roll 11. Q

On the end of the shaft 80' is a sprocket wheel 82 (Figure 1) -iwhich'by means of a chain 83 gears with a sprocket wheel 84 on a shaft 85 journaled in bearings 86. The shaft 85 has rigidly secured to it a number offriction clutches 88 (Figures 1 and 2) whereas co wheels 87 which en age with the said shaft is thus continuously actuated so that' a reciprocating movement is impartedfto a lever 76- at the'end of a shaft 25. The shaft 25 as shown in Figure 1 is normally drawn to the right by a draw-spring 78. The fingers 24 are reciprocatcd with the shaft 25 and thus permitted to accomplish their function hereinbeforedescribed.

The construction of the rotary-winding heads which cooperate with the winding guides 15 to helically Wind the winding wire on the mandrel wire is clearly shown in Figures'2. 5 and 6. Bushings 100 are'rigidly seci'u'cd in the plate 2 of themachine by means of-a set screw 101 (Figure 2). Tithin the said bushings the spindle. 104 is rotatably journaled on ball bearings 102 and 103 (Figure At the lower end of the said spindle is a pulley 105 provided with a flange 106 to prevent the belt 47 from run- .ning off. A cone 107- is rigidlyvsecured to the upper end ofthe spindle 104 which is provided with a central bore 104 and carries and; drives the winding head 14. When this spindle104 is rotated, the winding head 1.4v which by its own weight rests with a conr cone 110 is forced upwards. Conical smooth surfaces 109 are thereby brought into en gagement with each other so that the wind ing head 14 is lifted out of engagement with the cone 107. By reason of the friction between the surfaces 109 the winding head is soon stopped. On the end 114 of-the winding head housings 116, 119, 121 and 122 (Figures 5 and 6) are mounted. The spool 22 (Figure 6) for the winding wire is journaled between the housings 116 and 119 and. is for this purpose provided with a pivot 115 whichispivoted in alittle block arranged within the housing 116. A pivot 117 enters the soindle of the spool 22. This pivot is arranged at the end of a spindle 118 which is reciprocatable in the housing 119. The pivot 117 is pressed into the spindle of the spool by a spring 120 which is secured to the housing 121 and the tension of which can be regulated by means of a set screw 122. The spool 22 is braked owing to the friction of the pivots in their blocks, which prevents the winding wire from hanging slack. A microscope 125 (Figure 2) is slidable on the prism guide 126. and consequently permits of inspection of the wound mandrel wire from each winding head.

\Vhat we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1S!

1. In a. coiling machine, the combination with a rotary winding head, of means for directing a mandrel wire through said head, and a driving member in positive driving engagement with said unwound mandrel wire as it passes into and with the wound mandrel wire as it leaves said winding head.

2. In a winding machine, the combination with a rotary winding head, of a driving member for a mandrel wire, and means for These surface speed, and means for maintaining both the unwound mandrel wire entering the winding head and the wound: mandrel wire leaving it in feeding engagement with said members.

4. In a coiling machine, the combination with a rotary winding head, of meausfor directing a mandrel wire through the head comprising a feed roll of uniform diameter in engagement with the unwound mandrel wire fed into said winding head and with the wound mandrel wire delivered fromsaid head.

5. In a coiling machine, the combination with a plurality of winding heads side by side and rotatable about vertical axes, of means for passing a mandrel wire. through each head comprising a feed roll common to all said heads, and means for causing said roll to feed unwound mandrel wire; into each head and wound mandrel wire away from each head.

6. A coiling machine comprising a vertical plate, a plurality of winding heads mounted. side by side on one sideiof said plate to be rotatable aboutv'ertical axes, means for passing a mandrel wire through each head comprising a feed roll on the other side of said plate and common'to all said heads, and means for causing said roll to feed unwound mandrel wire intoeach head and wound mandrel wire away from each head.

7. A winding head comprising a vertical spindle having a conical upper end, a winding memberhaving a corresponding conical.

recess resting on said spindle and frictionally driven thereby, and'means for driving said spindle at uni-form speed.

8. A winding head comprising a vertical spindle having a conical upper end, a wind I ing. member having a corresponding conical recess resting on s a1d:s] )indle and frictionally driven thereby, disengaging means for raising said member off the conical end of said spindle, and driving means for said spindld J 9. In. a winding machine, the combination with a frame having mounted thereon winding heads, each with a driving pulley, and mandrel wire feed mechanism with a driving pulley, of a counter frame independent of said first frame and provided witha driving shaft belted to the driving pulleys of said heads and of said feedmec'hanism.

10. In a winding machine, the QOmbina- J tion with a frame having mounted thereon a plurality of winding heads side by side,

each with a driving pulley, and a mandrel wire feed mechanism having a driving pulley, of a counterframe independent of said first frame and provided With a driving pulley belted to all said driving pulleys on said first frame. i

11. In a winding machine, the combination with a frame having mounted thereon a plurality of winding heads side by side each with a driving pu1ley,and mandrel wire feed mechanism for passing mandrel Wire through said heads, of a driving cylinder In witness whereof, We have hereunto set 2 our hands this 7th day of November, 1924.

RICHARD SHEPHERD. WALTHER DALHEIMER. 

